Sonia Gandhi reaches ED office for questioning in National Herald money laundering case
text_fieldsCongress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday arrived at the Enforcement Directorate office in Delhi to appear for questioning in the money laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper.
Gandhi, 75, arrived at the federal probe agency's headquarters a little after noon escorted by her Z+ category CRPF security cover.
Gandhi, who was diagnosed with Covid recently, was seen wearing a mask and was accompanied by her children Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi.
As Gandhi appeared before the ED, the party workers staged protests calling ED's action against its top leadership a 'political vendetta'. The party leaders gathered for the demonstration at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi and hoisted slogans and rallies extending support to Gandhi.
The Delhi Police deployed a huge force and barricaded the entire over 1km stretch between Gandhi's residence on Akbar Road-Janpath and the ED office even as traffic restrictions have been enforced around the area.
The Congress chief is deposing on the third summons as she sought exemption on earlier dates of June 8 and June 23 owing to coronavirus infection.
Her statement will be recorded by the agency under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and it will also be taped in an audio-video mode.
The agency, according to sources, will give her an option to either write down or dictate her answers to an ED staffer over the computer, who will be present along with the investigating officer of the case.
The probe relates to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper.